t-l. -Zbi
iL
r,
EVACUATION DAY
The Annivorsary is Appropriately
Obsorvod at Valley Forgo
ADDRESSED BY PRESIDENT
IMlnti Ont the National Character of
ttia Kraut nntt Kuloelici Wmli"
Ington anil Lincoln.
On thn historic Bpot at Valley Forgo
where Washington and his "gnllant
Iwiys of '76 suffered In order Unit tho
1'nlted States might hocotno a na
tion," President Roosevelt dollvorcd a
notahla addroBs. Following Is what he
said in part:
"Lincoln saved tho union and lifted
tlie cause of liberty higher than before.
Washington created tho republic, roso
by statecraft to tho highest pc itlon
only for tho wolfnro of his follows and
for so long as his follows wished him
to Keep It. It Is a good thing tl.ut of
those, tho great land marks of our his
tory, Gettysburg and Valloy Forge,
one should commomorato a single tre
mendous effort nnd the other what wo
, need on tho whole- much moro com
monly and which I think Is on tho
wholo moro difficult to do, long sus
tained effort. Only men with a touch
of tho heroic could have lusted that
three day's Btrugglo at Gettysburg.
Only men (It to rank with tho great
men of all tlmo could have beaten
back tho mighty onslaught of that gal
lant nnd wonderful tinny of northern
Virginia, whoso Dual supromo effort
mndo at tho stone wall on Comotory
Rldgo on that July day forty-ouo years
ago.
"Hero nt Valloy Forgo Washington
nnd his continentals warred not
Hgalnst tho foreign soldiers, but against
themselves, against nil the appeals ot
our nature Hint uro most dllllcult to
resist, against dlFcoiirngomont, against
tbo Jealousies and heartburnings sure
to ariso at any time in largo bodies of
tnon, but moro sure to nrlso when de
feat and disaster havo cotuo to largo
bodies of men. And they conquered be
ensue they nnd In them the spirit thnt
made thorn steadfast, not merely on nu
occasional great dny, but day after day
In tho Ufa of dally endeavor to do duty
woll.
"When two lessons nro both India
pensablo It scotus hardly worth while
to dwell moro on one thnn on the other.
Yet I think that as a peoplo wo need
more to learn tho lesson of Valley
Forgo than oven that of Gettysburg.
I havo not tho slightest anxiety but
that UiIb people, if tho need should
como in tho future will bo nblo to uliow
tho heroism, tho Hiipremo effort thnt
was shown nt Gettysburg, though It
may well bo that it need a similar
two hours of effort checkered by dlba3
tor to lead up to it."
UP TO DATE BALL RECORD
New York, Chlrncn ami Colorado Spring
HUH In tho I.finrt
NATIONAL LEAGUE.
Played. Won. Lost. Pet
New Yolk t9
33
115
.in..
.GO)
.020
.531
1 180
.404
.400
.217
Chicago 47
Cincinnati HO
nttsburg 40
fit. Louis 47
Brooklyn r2
Boston HO
Philadelphia ....4G
31
31
20
23
21
20
10
li
10
23
21
31
30
3G
AMERICAN LEAGUE.
Played, Won. Lost.
Pet
Boston 50
23
17
)
20 '
21
2(5
23
27
33
.r.fio
.500
.571
.553
.500
.4 SO
.438
.191
Chicago til
Now York 17
Clovolnnd 47
Philadelphia ....52
fit, Louis 45
Detroit 18
Washington ....47
20
27
2(5
2(5
O')
....
21
9
WESTERN LEAGUE.
Played. Won. Lost.
Pet.
.081
.022
.512
.4 S9
.110
.299
Colorado Springs 38
20
28
22
12
12
17
21
23
2S
29
Denver 45
St. Josoph 43
Omaha 45
lies Moines 50
8loux City 41
MOYER AGAIN IN JAIL
CHtlzouV Alllnnee Mnhn Claim that lln Ik
n tl'wunlrnlor.
Sheriff Rutnn, of ToHiirl.h. Colo..
Jollverod Cbnrles II. Moyw, "resident
ot tho Westorn Federation ot Vlnore,
to two doputy sheriffs from Cripple
Creole who hold a warrant charging
Moyer with having been lmrtxlcated In
tho Vindicator mine oxploslo. of No
vember 1, 1903, by which two men
were killed. Moyor had been held ns
a prisoner nt Tollurldo nearly three
months under Governor Peabody's or
ders without rocourso to tho courts.
Ho was turned over to tho sheriff nf
tor United States Circuit Judge Thayer
at St. Louis had Issued u writ of ha
beas corpus In his case. District At
tornoy Mullen has dismissed nil the
charges against Moyer in that country.
I.ou Dillon llrealc Keeorrt
Boforo a crowd of ton thousand horso
lovers at tho Glennvillo track, near
Cleveland, 0 Ixiu Dillon, tho trotting
mare, driven by hor owner, C. K. G.
Billings, was sent a mllo to wngon to
beat tho amatour record of 2:19. Tho
mare made tho distance In 2:0ti',i-. Tho
last quartor wns made In 30 seconds.
Mr. Billings next rodo Charlie Mae a
mile In saddlo In an effort to break
the utnateur world's record of 2:19.
The record was lowered to 2:17.
!fflft?fr;fctf.f-Mgi)
TRUST SMASHING IN GUAM
A Vounr Karat Ofltrnr ForcM Trnt to
It nil II re food I'rlcei.
Lloutennnt Raymond Slono, a young
navnl ofllcor, as acting govornor of
Guam, has forced a food trust on that
Island to reduce prices In tho Island
on tho necessaries of life to tbo nn
tlvcs. This nctlon is taken in an or
der in which tho acting govornor
says:
"The existing high prices on articles
coming under tho class of 'necessaries
of llfo,' now overcharged for by tbo
dealers on this Island, render It neces
sary to-tcduco selling prices on various
articles found necessary to relievo tho
distress of the peoplo. The government
Is in receipt of Information showing
thnt the existing exorbitant prices on
foodstuffs, which nro plainly not Justi
fied by tho necessities of first cost,
freight, duties, etc., nro largely duo to
a form of collusion or coalition on tho
part of certain merchants of Agnna,
whoso combination Is for tho purposo
of keeping prices up. Such combina
tion Is evidently destructive of fair
compctttltlon, to tho benefits of which
tnc peoplo aie Justly entitled nnd docs,
moreover, como under tho prohibition
of the codo now In force In this Isl
and.' The order expressed hope that tho
merchants would promptly adjust their
prices nnd obviate tho nocoaslty of
governmental action. Tho merchants
promptly heeded the warning.
VALUATIONS OF RAILROADS
Tlimu Will Itn Ki-nt Out to livery County
In NrliriiHlut,
The stato board of equalization will
not hold another session until the sec
rotary has completed tho certifications
lo tho several countries of their ap
portionment of railway mileages and
valuations for assessment purposes
Each system of railroad must be dis
tributed separate to tbo counties
through which It runs und In many
of tho counties moro thnn two hundred
computations of the returns made will
bo required before tho proper amounts
can bo certified to tho subordinate tax
ing Jurisdictions. The values of the
railroad systems ns they will be dis
tributed are as follows:
Union Pacific $52,878,019
llurllngton 10I.1S4.U9i;
Missouri Pacific lO.UtJS.r.aS
Hock Ifclnnd 10.i2i5.330
Northwestern 3 I,IU"I,2C0
St. J. & G. I 3,019,750
W. & S. F 2,.r,04.200
C, S. M. & 0 11.021,300
Total $227,810,303
TERMINAL ELEVATORS
Farmers' Co-Operative Shipping Anno
elation Making Minify.
Tho Farmers' Co-Oporative Shipping
association of Nebraska und KansaB
aro devoting tbo present year to plac
ing tho present subordinate organiza
tions of tbo main association on n
sound financial basis, and will pay but
little attention to tho organization of
now local associations until this has
been accomplished. The association
will establish terminal elevators nt
Omaha, to hnndlu tho grain shipped
from Nebraska nnd northern Kansas
and will Incorporate the terminal ele
vator company In Nebraska. C. Vin
cent of Omaha, ono of tho founders of
tho association Is completing tho final
arrangements. Mr. Vincent states that
the association has a net earning of
$30,0000 on the $90,000 capital Invest
ed last year, nnd that nn 8 per cent
cash dividend had been pnld, also a
rebate dividend of li per cent on nil
grain hold the U3rot'iation by members.
MILITARY DESPOTISM
Wherein Colonulo Mllttli Attempt In
Control Too I lllntrlliutliin
Messages have been riived nt the
hoadqimiters of the Western Federa
tion of Miners in Denver, tolling of
interference among tho military with
tullef work among the famllle.i of do
ported miners In Cripple Creek. Mrs
Sophie King telephoned that she bad
been called before the military and
ordered hereafter to give nld only
Ihiough tho nnlitur) Information v. as
nlso received that tho military had ut
teni.pted to awcat John Harper, the
union storekeeper nt Victor, by put
ting a rope mound his neck It was
saltl that this was done In tho pres
ence of Generul Hell. As a result of
tho order thnt aid shall be given only
through tbo military the federation haj
been compelled to send money direct
to those In need.
In addition to tho suit which will bo
filed against the governor and state of
Colorado for tbo Imprisonment of
President Moyer, a suit is also in con
templation against Captain Moore,
who cammnnded tho mllltla before
General Hell arrived at Victor.
I'ut On I.arire Mull Car.
For the past cir much complaint
Has icon made by the business men of
towns along the Northwcytorn rail
toad of tho Inadequate mall facilities
between Omaha and Honosteol, S D.
On numerous occasions the poatoillct
dopattmont has been asked to havo a
larger mall car put on to meet thti
demand. A mall car with twlco th
capacity of tho ono In presont uso will
bo lii3tal''id to facilitate the mails
along tho route within a fovv days..
WHEAT OUTLOOK
Tho Kansas Board of Agriculture
Mako3 Annual Statement.
WHEAT AVERAGES 87 PER CT
flnrrcr anil Klnctimn t'onntlri llmethe
lllerit K.KIhr- A Your for
All KlmU nf ('rutin,
Tho Kansas board of agriculture has
Issued n report comprehending the
crop situation In every neighborhood
but, denllng moro In detail with
wheat, corn nnd oats.
Winter wheat In December Inst the
board's correspondents estimated that
tbo area sown to winter wheat was or
would be 5,070,000 acdes. The same re
porters now aro of tho opinion thnt
about 13 per cent, or 733,00 Oacros, will
be abandoned or plowed up and devoted
to other crops. Almost the whole of
this abandoned men Is In tho counties
In the western bnlf of the state, and
this situation is attributed Jointly to
Into seeding nnd shortage of timely
rainfall. Fields In which seed was sown
on stubble ground were the first to suc
cumb. The lowest conditions nro like
wise reportetl from the section named,
nnd while the general precipitation
came too lute lo be of much benefit In
some portions generous downpour dis
pelled tho uncertainty In others, and
especially In a majority of the main
wheat growing counties.
Tho present condition or the 4,940,000
ncres now Ilho to be harvested is 87
per cent. Among the principal wheat
producers reporting highest conditions
nro Harvey county 100 per cent, King
man 100, Reno 97, Sedgwick 95, Harper
91, Cloud 92. Sumner 92. Mitchell 91,
Dickinson 91, Saline 91. Pratt ill, Mc
Pherfon 90, Rico 90, nnd Mnrlon 89. The
area of the3o fourteen counties com
prises slightly over 41 per cent of the
stato's acreage which will be harvested
and Its average condition Is 93 per cent.
Hesslnn fly Is rarely mentioned by cor
respondents, and In fnct thus far the
season baa been notably free from In
jurious Insects of any description.
Corn Last year's area was G,fJ2.V
777 ncres, nnd correspondents esti
mate that this year's area will show
a substantial Increase, especially
whore wheat was such a failure that
any considerable acreage was plowed
up. Tho returns also suggest that
moro corn has been planted In the
recognized corn growing territory, but
the backward and exceedingly cool
spring, followed by excessively wet
weather delayed planting, germina
tion and cultivation nearly every
where. Much replanting has been
made necessary because of teed rot
ting or being washed out by dathlng
raius. Until tho past few days the
general Bituatlou has not been pro
pitious for corn, and the average con
dition for tho stnte of that now grow
ing Is 78.6 per cent. As the present
report, however, Is based on condi
tions as found June 3, It is likely the
average might now be snfely ad
vanced several points owing to tho
Improved and improving weather nnd
soil conditions since. Prevailing
sunshine and warmth arc conducive
to vigorous growth and permits of
cultivation, which Is being pushed.
With the soil so thorough satu
rated, tho present circumstances
would seem to bo nil tha could" bo
asked for the prosperity of tho whole.
No county reports a condition of 1C0
nnd but very few of tho real corn
counties reach 90. It Ir, noteworthy
thnt tho highest percentages with few
exceptions aro reported from u block
ot a dozen adjoining counties In tho
northwest portion or tbo stnte, nnd
the lower conditions aro found In tho
enstern portion where there bus boen
superabundant rainfall.
Oats. Acreago prolmbly about tho
samo as last year and prospect prom
ising. Tbo condition for tho stato Is
80, but tho figure in several of tho
counties is much higher. Ono county,
Linn, reports 100, followed by Labette
98, Shorldau 90, Wynndotto, 9G, Wa
baunsee 95, Jowell S4, Phillips 93,
Cowloy 92, Douglas 92, Geary 92,
Smith 92, Doniphan 91, Graham 90,
Harvey 90, Lyon 90, and Morton 90.
Snnto nuniunt Arrive.
Santos Dumont, who comes with his
dlrlglblo airship "No. 7," to compete
for tho prlzo in tho nlrshlp contest at
tho St. Louis exposition, was ono of
tho passongors on the stenmor Savole,
which arrived In New York from
Havre. Ho expects to make his first
trip In July.
Patent Usueil to Knninni.
Tho following patents havo been Is
sued to western persons: Kansas-
Wesley H. Bennington, Kansas City,
typewriting machine; Wllllab T. Hunn,
Hutchinson, lifting Jack; Thomas J.
Corrlgan, Arkansas City, wire tlghton
er; Jonas 11. Horrlff, Erlo. stovo, also
hydro-carbon burner; William II. Hob
son, Wichita, knlfo blndo attachment
for cutting machines; Snmuol C. Leh
man, Galena, broomcom combing ma
chine; Henry W. Luumann, Hays,
buckle. '
jj'y.' j-yryy.-'fr'Si"! wmi-i ifrfiiMiiirrrj""" ji-Jiwaiajmh ( "w
SET PRICE OF TWINE
South I'latte Implement Dealer! DUciUf
Twine Value.
The South Plnttc Implement Dealers
closed their session in Lincoln after
spending most of their time In oxecu
tlvo session. They listened to reports
of committees and then took up prices
of machines which come under their
control.
Much discussion resulted with regard
to the price of binding twine. The
minimum price wns fixed aft&r long
debate at 12 cents n pound. In sonio
price that leaves no piotlt if the twine
prices thnt leaves no profit if the twine,
complies with tho law.
Tho dealers have looked with suspi
cion upon some twluo that is being
disposed of in Nebraska. There Is a
law that Hpecllles the grade of twlno
that will pass muster. Tho president
and secretary were authorized to take
whatever steps mny bo doomed ncc
cssnry to prosocuto any person dispos
ing of such twine. Tho Intcrnntlonnl
Harvester people have already signified
their intention of commencing a prose
cution.
HAD THEM SCARED.
Mr. nullliiKtoti llnoth' Itemurk Cream
Alarm In llrr Auilli'iino.
Ill an address at the Madison Avenuo
Reformed church, New York, Mrs. Hal
llngton Dootb caused much consterna
tion among the members of tho fnsli-
lonablo congregation. She was speak
ing of work in the state prisons of tbo
country and success In the reformation
ot so-called "habitual" criminals.
"I seo before mo many examples ot
what tho love of Jesus Christ can do
for habitual criminals," she said. "I
seo here former convicts with their
wives nnd some even with children."
Many of the liUcners looked at ono
another as if each felt that a neighbor
might bo one of those to whom Mrs.
Iiooth wns referring. Suspicious glances
wcro cast and many looked askance to
see a tell-tale blush, but none wns ob
served, and Mrs. Hooth continued her
address, assuring tho congregation thnt
she did not intend going into details
School Trat-her lUonriluu.
Five hundred northwest Kansa3
school teachers will leave Norton,
Kansas July G, on a special train, for
tho world's fair. They will remnln in
St. Louis ten dnys and be encamped
during the time just outside the world's
fair grounds. W. G. Rlste, principal
of the Norton high school, who Is ar
ranging the excursion, has secured ad
missions for tho entire party Into tho
Jerusalem city and the five Phlllpplno
villages. In nddltlon, tho program of
tho Kansas teachers, as planned, will
Include a rldo on the intcrmural. a
tour of St. Louis by street car, a visit
to the botanical gardons and a steamer
rldo on tho Mississippi from Ends
bridge to Jefferson barracks and re
turn. Tnktn to IiMnnn Aiyltim.
Lars Olson, n section foreman, living
In Lincoln, cut Himself opon to check
tho career of a large and ferocious
worm which ho said was angling about
In his tlesh purposedly to tnko him un
awarca some day and choke off his
wind.
Ho was sent to tho Insane hospital
where be will bo treated by strange
delusions. On nil other subjects, Ol
son, who Is a Jolly Swede, Is entirely
sane. For several weeks he has been
traveling from doctor to doctor, drug
store to drug store, taking fierce Jolts
of powerful medicines In tho hope of
routln'g tho enemies. Tho medicines
havo seriously dnmaged his health, ao
cording to the doctors.
Ills right on Juno :io.
Tho managers of the Yosomito ath
letic club, beforo which tho Jeffries
nnd Monroo fight Is to take place, on
Juno 30, declaro that tboro will bo no
further postponement. Unless Jeffrler,
is In condition by that time, bo, they
say, must lost his forfeit of $2,300 and
tho tltlo ot champion. Harry Corbott
and other pugilistic exports bellfve
that besides decreasing tho betting
odds the dolny will bo of direct bene
fit to Monroo, who Is said to be ron-
stantly improving in his work. On
tho other hand Jeffries now hopes to bo
lu prlmo condition when ho enters the
ring and his trnlnors do not autlcipata
any further trouble with his Injured
kneo.
Taking Care of tho Deported.
Six doportcd miners from Colorado
arrlvod In Pittsburg, Kan,, on a
freight train, by way of Kansas City.
They wcro taken care of by tho dis
trict board of Mine Workers.
Miss Lena Pfoifor. who has been an
assistant in tho county clerk's offlco of
Sumner county, has boon chosen by tho
county commissioners to fill tho va- Ident Krancis or tne umisinuu ersposi
cancy caused by tho death of thf tlon asking tho consti nctlon of tho law
county clerk, W. A. Lltchenbergor. ,n reBani to tho relmbumiment lr.the
fatii mtllfnna nt rinllnra pnvnrnntriiit
Flvo Ico houses belonging to ' Iroy
Lasnlle. loented between lisnllo and
Center streets, on tho south bank of
tho Bluo river, In West Beatrice, were
destroyed by fire, entailing a loss of
J1.000. Tho buildings woro vacant and
wore uninsured. It Is thought tho fire
was started by fire bugs.
k
JAPS LOSE AT SEA
Tho Vladivostok Squadron Sinks
Two Japanese Transports.
i.OOO SOLDIERS GO DOWN
In Retnrn tho .fapmiene In I.nnil Itattlo
Whip the ItiiMlanft and Capture
Artillery nnd l'rlKonrr.
All doubt ns to the sinking of the
transports Hitachi nnd Sado by tho
Russians has been removed. Throo
hundred and ulnety-sovcn survivors of
tho Hitachi arrived at MoJI and 153
survivors of tho Sado havo arrived at
Kokura.
The transport Hlno, which has re
turned to MoJI reports that she en
countered tho Russian Vladivostok
squadron twonty miles west of tho isl
and of Shlro of tho Ikl group. The
transports Hitachi, 6,127 tons, und tho
Sndo, G.219 tons, wcro seen two miles
to tho westward. When tho Hlno
sighted tho Russian fleet sho turned
and ran and signalled n warning to
tho Kannzawa, and the both took
rcfttgo lnslto tho Island Chlty. Doth
signalled danger to the Ibu, which nlso
escaped. Tho Hlno saw tho Hitachi
and Sado surrounded by Russian ves
sels. Tho loss of life was heavy.
Details obtainable from tho surviv
ors of the ill-fated Jnpancso transports
show that the Hitachi nnd the Sado
met thrco Russian warships near Ikl
Island. The Russians fired on the Jap
anese ships and stopped them and
soon afterward they torpedoed and
sank tho helpless transports.
Tho captain of the Stulo and several
other men were captured, over ono
hundred men escaped In the boats and
landed nt Kokura.
A messago which was received at
Toklo from Hngl pays thnt several
survivors of tho Hitachi had drifted
north to Shlmonosekl nnd been saved.
Tho transport Isuml is still missing.
It is reported that tho transports
Hitachi and Sado carried only fourteen
hundred men. If this Is true, the loss
In lives Is probably less than one thou
sand. Tho transports, however, had many
horses and largo quantities of supplies
on board.
Tho Rucrlan hope of relieving tho
pressure on Port Arthur by threaten
ing the rear of General Oku, tho com
mander of tho apanesc forces invest
ing tho Russian stronghold, camo to an
end at Tcllssu, a point on tho railroad
fifty miles north of Kin Chou and tvvon-ty-flvo
miles north of Val'nngow, when
tho Russians wcro out-maneuvered,
enveloped and swecplngly defeated.
They left ovor flvo hundred dead on
tho field nnd tho Japauese captured 300
prisoners and fourteen quick firing
field guns. Tho Russians retreated
hastily to the northward.
Tho Japaneso chargo that the Rus
sians violated tho apaneso flag, cer
tain ofllcers aver that during tho fight
ing n body of Russian soldiers ap
peared carrying n npnnese flag, and
thnt the Japaneso ar.tillery, deceived
by this flag, censed firing upon that
particular body of Russians. Ofilcial
dispatches from tho Japanese com
manders made specific charges of this
flag violation.
Early estlmntes of tho Japaneso
losses at Tollssu say that 1.000 men
wero killed or wounded.
MOYER HAS BEEN RELEASED
Culled Mate Court Deride In Fnvor of
thn I'l'iler.itlnu Secretary.
Satisfaction was expressed nbout the
headquarters of tho wostcrn federation
of minors In Denver when It became
known that Judgo Thajer of the Unit
ed Stntes circuit court at St. Louis, had
taken up the Moyor caso.
Vlco President Wll'lcms said:
"It Is all tho more satisfactory be
cause tho wholo affair will bo reviewed
from beginning to end, Including tho
decision of tho supreme court of this
stato."
James Kcrwln of South Dakota, who
has been retained as assistant secre
tary on account of the Illness of Sec
retary Hey wood, said:
"Wo consider tho action of tho gov
ornor In hurriedly transferring tho
custody of Moyor as a confession of
weakness nnd evidenco of his fear to
havo tho federal authorities assumo
Jurisdiction."
Charles II. Moyer. president of tho
western federation of miners, who was
surrendered to Sheriff Rutnn by Cap
tain Bulkeley Wells, military com
mandor In San Miguel county, nfter
Judgo Thayer at St. Louis granted a
writ of habeas corpus for him, Is now
held In tho county Jail as a prisoner
on tho chnrgo of desecrating tho flag.
Ho Bald that tho federation would prob
ably provide a bond for him and ho
will undoubtedly bo released within n
few days. Pursuant to an order from
Governor Peabody all troops wero
withdrawn from San Mlguol county.
Sheriff Rutnn Is confident ho can han
dle the situation.
Mint ray from Collection".
Acting Secretary of tho Treasury
Taylor recolvod a telegram from I'res-
,onn , prCgia0nt Francis Inqulrod v.iioth-
er tho 40 per cont duo tho government
from tho revenues ot tho ralr should
bo based on actual collections or tho
earnings to date. Tho treasury depart
ment holds that the payment should
Ira made from actual collections rather
than from tho earnings.
EXCEEDS SEVEN HUNDRED
Nil in her of Drathi on the Blocomb Fat .
Greater Than lUtlmatod.
After questioning all tho wltnesso
Including Captain Can Schlaick and
flvo of tho crew of tho burned stoamor
Slocum, who appeared befor'o him in
the Alexander avenuo station, Coronor
Joseph T. Berry, of Now York, mada
tho following statement:
"From the evidence which has been
produced before mo I am of the opin
ion thnt the fire started in tho storago
room on the starbonrd sldo of the boat
forward. Thero was stored in tho room
oils, paints, old rope, camp stools,
lumber ond other dunning of a high
ly Inflammablo naturo. This material
was such ns nny ship Is compelled to
carry, nnd so far as Its presenco la
concerned I do not know that the
ship's owners nro guilty of neglect.
"The first warning of danger enme
with a volume of black smoko which
camo through tho forward stairways.
Tho flro nlnrm was undoubtedly
promptly sounded. "William M. Trom
blcy, n deck hand, has told mo that
when the crow responded to fire quar
ters nnd manned the hoso thero wns no
water. It nppcars that tho efforts of
tho crew wcro futile on account of tho
panic which ensued. The fire spread
so quickly thnt the supports of the up
per deck burned away and coilapscd.
"Before tho crew und owners can bo
cleared of responsibility It must bo es
tablished that tho firo started from
spontaneous combustion In the Inflam
mable material In the storago room.
Kdwnrd Flanagan, inato of tho
wrecked Slocum, told tho pollco It was
impossible to calm the excursionists
nfter tho first appearance of tho
damns.
"It was unfortunate that thero wcro
not more men aboard and that all of
tho excursionists did not understand
the English language. Women and
children pushed to tho sides of the
vessel nnd boforo any ono could re
strain them they wero leaping over
board by hundreds. It will be found
thnt tho majority lost wero drowned
by Jumping overboard when, had thoy
kept their presenco of mind, thoy
would now bo nmong the saved. Many
of tho poor people wcro so frantic that
thoy nctually ran Into the flames nnd
worn consumed. I saw several In
stances of this kind, but I was power
less in the panic strlckcd throng."
Tho race of tho burning steamer
from the moment tho fire was discov
ered until her bows crashed Into tho
snelving beach of North Brother Island,
lasted little more than ten minutes,
yet that tlmo sufficed for deeds of
heroism which mako the one bright
chapter in the heartrending story.
Brave mon, devoted mothers and
oven maidens and youths of tender
years each contributed their part to
the roll of heroic nets.
There were rescues in the face of
nlmost certain death, and useless but
exalted self-sacrifice. The credit for
the greatest saving of life Is duo to tho
hnrdy tugboat mon and other follow
ers of the river, who braved tinmen
nnd held the noses of their bouts
against the fire-wrapped steamer un
til driven off by tho awful heat, chok
ing nnd scorched.
Tho estimates of tho number of
dead given by officials vary exceed
ingly; Dr. Darlington, the president
of the board of health, who remained
at North Brothor island for a great
portion of tho night, gnvo as Ms esti
mate a total of 1,200. with possibilities
of 1,230. Inspector Brooks, who had
been nt the sceno n few minutes nftor
tho accident, placed the number at
1.000.
When tho drend tale of the General
Slocum dlsnstor Is fully told when
tho last body has been taken from tho
burned hulk and tho swift waters ot
Hellgato glvo up their dead, the catas
trophe will tako Its place as tho most
appalling that has over occurred In tho
wnters of tho sounds.
Definite figures enn not yet bo given,
that moro than five hundred persons
perished Is a hnrlhle certainty, but
how much In excess of that number
thn total will run will only bo known
when the "missing" column Is fin
ished. Nelirmlta l'oitiiumtrrn ICIcrt OH1
The convention of Nebraska post
masters closed with a beslon at tho
Lindell hotel, Lincoln. Tho old offi
cers wore re-elected with tho excep
tion of Joseph Crow, who was first vlco
president, as postmaster of Omaha. H.
15. Palmer, of Omaha, was put in his
phtro. Tho list comprises:
Ed R. Slzer, Lincoln, president
II. E. Palmer, Omaha, first vlco
president.
II. G. Miller, Grand Island, socond
vico president.
Mrs. C. E. McDougnl, Friend, third
v Ice president.
J. W. Fouts, Dlller, fourth vlco presi
dent. W. J. Cook, Blair, secretary-treasurer.
Executive committee: First district,
O. L, Bnntz, Humboldt; Socond dis
trict, W. S. Bakor, Grotna (secretary);
Third district, Doiiald McLcod, Schuy
ler; Fourth district, Jno. A. Andoisou,
Wuhoo; Fifth district, J. II . Tower,
Sutton; Sixth district, J, M. Errlcksuu,
Dannebrog.
Nehrashn'i III Crop I'roipert.
Secretary Dobson of the state bo'a'ra
of Irrigation Is receiving reports from
his field mon to tho effect that abund
ant rain has fallen In tho Irrigation
districts of the stato, and that nil ot
tho ditches are full. Thoro Is an
abundance ul water to carry flmalt
grain over tho harvost and to glvo
young corn a big enough start to en
able It to stand a short period ot dry
weather